Monday, September 22, 2014

Just for the record, I have not added any emphasis to the screenshot above. That all is the work of TOI.

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…At the trailer launch of Chennai Express (a public event in her REAL life), Deepika Padukone was seen sporting an anarkali with a low cut neckline. The video tweeted by @TOIEntertain had been hosted on youtube for over a year and was produced and uploaded by a channel called 'Kraft Buzz' on June 18, 2013.

Deepika, we accept your reel vs real argument, but what about all the times, and there have been many, when you have flaunted your body off screen — while dancing on stage, posing for magazine covers, or doing photo ops at movie promotional functions? What 'role' do you play there? So why the hypocrisy? ….

Yes, the headline could have been better. But the world of online is very different from that of newspapers. It is chaotic and cluttered — and sensational headlines are far from uncommon.

We have always campaigned against the moral police. We believe there's no shame in Deepika showing off her body, but does she now want us to first check with her as to which pictures of her — taken at public events — we can or cannot publish? Are we going to have a parallel censor board for pictures of film stars taken off screen but in plain sight of the world, as Deepika's was?…

Deepika, who began her career as a 'calendar girl' for a liquor brand, has written, ''Yes we marvel, envy and drool over a male actors 8 pack abs in a film, but do we zoom in on the mans 'crotch' when he makes a public appearance and make that 'cheap headlines'??!!'' Deepika, just for the record, we do not zoom into a woman's vagina or show her nipples. As a newspaper, we take every care to ensure that we pixelate them if they show up in a picture, but your cleavage is as sexy as Shah Rukh Khan's '8-pack' abs. Given the nature of the online media worldwide, there could well have been a story headlined, "OMG...Shah Rukh's 8-pack sexy abs!!!" You've also written, ''Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I have little interest to take this further as it might get more attention than it deserves and might be further misconstrued and twisted to sell more undeserved headlines.'' Despite having made your point on Twitter, you have chosen to re-tweet every message and given as many interviews as you could. This has obviously been great publicity for you, timed perfectly with the release of your new film.The video's been on YouTube for a year, why object now?

Firstly, one must appreciate TOI for accepting that the 'headline' could have been better. What I don't understand is, why couldn't they just end it there? That was the initial problem. It was a crappy headline for a news-paper/channel/website. The issue wouldn't have gone this far if TOI hadn't put up that 'Compliment' tweet. That just made a bad situation worse.

As many have pointed out, this isn't the first time it has happened. Just because no one (as in no celeb) had complained (publicly), doesn't mean that none ever would. IF TOI had bothered to read some of the gazillion comments on their shitty articles, they would have noticed at least a few hundred thousand comments stating that they should stop putting up such articles. This all was way before Deepika's tweet or that idiotic headline. TOI (and others) simply ignored those because it wasn't a celeb or a public figure complaining. There simply is no need to respond to the common reader.

TOI's Priya Gupta asks - does she now want us to first check with her as to which pictures of her - taken at public events - we can or cannot publish?

No. What Deepika (and a lot of other sensible people) would want is for TOI (and similar publications/media outlets) to be a bit sensible when:

Coining the headlines.

Determining what is news-worthy and what isn't.

Going crazy with 'red marks the spot' highlights on pictures and videos.

That would be a good starting point.

Priya Gupta also points out that Deepika's outrage was timed perfectly with the release of her new film. The video's been on YouTube for a year, why object now?. TOI even mentions the date - June 18, 2013.

Priya Gupta… please note that Deepika has had other releases in 2013. So, if she wanted to use this video nonsense for publicity, she would have used it for Ram-Leela(Released in November 2013). The fact that she did not use it then, should be enough validation that Deepika didn't raise the issue to rake up publicity.

As far as the 'Why object now' bit is concerned - You idiot, she did not object to the video. She objected to you using that video with a crappy headline and terming it as NEWS. Do you NOT understand that?! Even now?! Given that you put up that shit article 'now', that is the reason why she is objecting 'now'.

About Priya Gupta's other question Why The Hypocrisy - but what about all the times, and there have been many, when you have flaunted your body off screen — while dancing on stage, posing for magazine covers, or doing photo ops at movie promotional functions? What 'role' do you play there?

Priya - If someone at the dance show were to put a red marker across Deepika's tits and hold up a board saying 'OMG amazing cleavage', I assure you, she would object. No hypocrisy. She would object if any of the magazines she has shot for were to do that and refer to it as 'Entertainment NEWS'. While attending a party / bash / film premiere - if someone would use laser pointers to point at her nipples or her crotch, she would object then as well. Samjhe?

Ek aakhiri baat - Stop pretending that you or TOI are trying to resolve the issue or actually have a point here. You are just trying to get as much footage out of this incident as you can. You want it to be in the news so you can talk about it, have Arnab conduct a 'debate' (where all he does is scream at the camera) on this 'topic' and you get to term this cheap shit as journalism.